United States aviation authorities reopened the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, following its closure on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly ordered a 10-day halt to flights in and out of El Paso International Airport on Tuesday evening, citing “special security reasons.” Local leaders said they received no prior warning or explanation and called the sudden announcement a risk to public safety.

Pentagon officials attributed the closure to a drone incursion by Mexican cartels. On Wednesday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA had worked with the Pentagon to “address a cartel drone incursion” and that “the restrictions have been lifted.”

The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.

The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.

The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. https://t.co/xQA1cMy7l0

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 11, 2026

While Pentagon officials cited the incursion as the reason, CBS News reported the brief shutdown was tied to a dispute between the FAA and the Department of Defense over drone-related testing, including plans to deploy a high-energy laser near Fort Bliss, the military base adjacent to the airport. A source told CNN that the U.S. military used the system earlier this week to shoot down four mylar balloons.

The Associated Press reported that the Pentagon’s authorization for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser prompted the FAA’s closure. One source said the laser was used without FAA coordination and ahead of a meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the technology.

The Pentagon and FAA have not commented on these reports.

On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected claims of a drone incursion in El Paso. “There is no information regarding drone use at the border. If the FAA or any other US government agency has any information, they can ask the Mexican government.”